Sunday, July 17, 2005

Breaking News!

I received the most incredible mail from a fellow blogger. I'm not sure if he wants me to use his name so I'll call him G HaDor. No, wait. That's too revealing. Lets call him Gadol H. Anyway, he heard from the next door neighbor of one of Rav Sheinberg's closest former Talmidim now living in Australia that Rav Sheinbergnever signed the Slifkin ban. It seems that on the day in question Rav Sheinberg had been abducted by aliens and it was his body double from another planet who signed the ban. More importantly, even the body double never meant to condemn Rabbi Slifkin. He thought he was signing a Haskama for the books which he gladly did because he knows Rabbi Slifkin's body double very well from their Lamed Vov meetings on their home planet. It had never occurred to the body double that someone would condemn Rabbi Slifkin for merely repeating what the greatest of our Baalei Mesorah have written. So you have here irrefutable proof that to in any way give the slightest credibility to the ban is not only an assault on the kavod of Rav Sheinberg but also an assault on the kavod of his esteemed body double.

Now I've been called disingenuous (and sincerely disingenuous) for taking the ban seriously in my attempt to undermine it. My reasons though are not merely a strategic ploy to lure those who would never question the Gedolim to ask the proper questions which would force movement on the issue. I also refuse to believe that the Gedolim would make such a monumental decision without carefully considering the ramifications. And even if under extreme circumstances beyond my comprehension they did make such an error, they would fix it immediately. A Psak Halachah on the Yesodei Hadas is the most serious decision a Posek could possibly make. If people misunderstood or misinterpreted what they meant they would fix it immediately. If someone has the slightest doubt that a certain Posek for whatever reason would not do so, he shouldn't rely on that Posek for anything, ever.

Now it should be clear to everyone, especially those who support the ban, that the real reasons for the ban have not been given. For those who don't know what the real reason is, the fact that it hasn't been publicly given is itself a great hint to what it must be. If there is one thing everyone who's analyzed the ban agrees upon, it is that there has been much misinformation about what the means and why it has been done. I find it especially amusing how those who support the ban prefer to give demonstrably false reasons for the ban rather than simply saying I trust the Gedolim. That they feel the need to do so gives me hope that there will be movement on this issue. Even if the Gedolim though refuse to budge and to answer sincere and urgent Halachic and Hashkafic questions on the reasons and ramifications of the ban from their own loyal Talmidim, there are steps the rest of us can take to resolve this thing. The one obstacle I see is that it will require those who oppose the ban to acknowledge the terrible longterm damage it will do. Solutions which would strike those ignorant of the ramifications of the ban as being over the top would be considered overly moderate and cautious by those who realize what the lasting consequences will be. Spreading awareness of how the ban will have a major impact on those who agree with it, those who don't, those who are unsure, those who are already born and those who will be born centuries from now is the first step to fighting it.

Ploni - I think they hold it is kefirah - but they won't really explain why for that would do more harm than good. I'm still debating with a friend of mine whether I should publicly reveal my theory or not. In the meantime I think it very important that Talmidim of the Gedolim ask them for the reasons and press them when they are given clearly defective answers. There is enough disinformation going on already.

"also refuse to believe that the Gedolim would make such a monumental decision without carefully considering the ramifications. And even if under extreme circumstances beyond my comprehension they did make such an error, they would fix it immediately. A Psak Halachah on the Yesodei Hadas is the most serious decision a Posek could possibly make. If people misunderstood or misinterpreted what they meant they would fix it immediately. If someone has the slightest doubt that a certain Posek for whatever reason would not do so, he shouldn't rely on that Posek for anything, ever."

You are in obviuos denial and to prop up your need to believe patent falsehoods, you invent rabid conspiracy theories. whatever. Which you will reveal when the time is ripe. You're a nut.